The Best Tamil Movies Sorted by Genre: Learn Tamil While Having Fun!
The Tamil language, which is mainly spoken in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Malaysia, is a very special language indeed.
Thought to have been born before 500 BC, it’s definitely one of the oldest languages in the world.
But how beautiful is it? Well, the answer lies in its very name, as “Tamil” can also be interpreted as beautiful, delicate, and natural.
What not many people know about Tamil is that, nowadays, it’s very easy to get exposure to it through movies and television shows.
With the Tamil movies below, you can learn a beautiful but little-known language while having a nice time with your friends or family.
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Tamil Thriller Movies
Ratsasan – 2018
Do you like racy action-packed thrillers? Then Ratsasan, a 2018 film directed by the talented Ramkumar, might be your new favorite film.
The movie opens with an old man discovering the dead body of a teenage schoolgirl, a 15-year-old school student who has been brutally murdered and wrapped in a polythene bag.
And that’s just the opening scene.
As with most thriller films that revolve around a murder, we need an investigator. And what a great character we find in Arun Kumar, an aspiring filmmaker who wants to make a movie about psychopaths but finds himself on a dangerous and very real mission: catching the mysterious serial killer who has been targeting and murdering teenage girls.
Will he be able to track him down?
Thuppakki – 2012
One of the best Tamil movies of the last decade, Thuppakki follows Jagdish, an army captain who has returned to his hometown in Mumbai to spend a few weeks with his family. However, his peace is disturbed when he is ordered to go on a mission to find and capture a terrorist gang and deactivate a bomb that won’t stop ticking.
Though the premise is hardly new, Thuppakki is expertly executed and it does exactly what a great thriller is supposed to do: entertain.
Tamil Comedy Movies
Naanum Rowdydhaan – 2015
Pandiyan, also known as “Pondy Pandi” is the son of a respected inspector. Although he was brought up by very strict parents, he grows up to befriend criminals and eventually becomes a minor, slightly incompetent criminal himself.
Then, one day, this wannabe thug falls for a hearing-impaired woman who makes a shocking request. If he really loves her, he has to take on the man who caused her to lose her hearing.
If you like action comedies, you cannot miss Naanum Rowdydhaan, one of the best Tamil movies of 2015.
Soodhum Kavvum – 2013
Pagalavan, Kesavan and Sekar are three friends who have just lost their jobs. Then, they meet Das (Vijay Sethupathy), a man who runs a successful kidnap for ransom “business,” and decide to join him.
Enter Arumai Prakasam, son of a minister, who wants to stage his own kidnap to get money out of his strict father but ends up in the hands of real kidnappers.
This hilarious comedy of errors is a great example of how Tamil movies can be just as fast and furious as your favorite American blockbusters.
Tamil Horror Movies
Pizza – 2012
Pizza is a 2012 Indian Tamil-spoken horror movie about a pizza delivery boy named Michael, and the dramatic events that alter his life forever.
While Michael has a day job to pay the bills, he is in fact an aspiring novelist who’s looking for inspiration to write a horror story about a supernatural presence. Anu, his girlfriend, who is terrified about the idea of spirits and ghosts, keeps telling him that if he keeps doing research, he will soon experience paranormal experiences. Though Michael doesn’t pay attention to her at first, Anu’s fears are confirmed when Michael’s boss’s daughter is possessed by a demonic spirit.
Pizza was widely acclaimed by critics, who praised the director for his “strong control of the medium and gives an abundant display of his narrative skills.” Looking for Tamil movies that are both disturbing and highly entertaining? Then Pizza is the one for you.
Andhaghaaram – 2020
Andhaghaaram is a supernatural horror film written and directed by newcomer V. Vignarajan.
This electrifying movie follows three men in Chennai whose lives are revealed to be connected in strange and sinister ways.
The first man is Dr. Indran, one of the most respected clinical psychiatrists in the country. After being shot by one of his most dangerous patients, Dr. Indran barely survives, but he wakes to find that his wife and children have been massacred.
The second character is Selvam, a kind-hearted blind man who works as an assistant at a public library. Though he doesn’t like to talk about it, Selvam has learned some of the tricks from his late father, who was a renowned occultist and clairvoyant. When he’s told that he has to get a kidney operation, he agrees to direct a cleansing ritual at a haunted house.
The final man is Vinod, a cricket instructor who is burdened by guilt after his best friend undergoes a mysterious mental disorder as a result of reading a book on the occult that Vinod gave him as a joke.
Although these three stories seem unconnected at first, they soon become intertwined in a web of deception, darkness, and fear. Definitely one of the best Tamil movies in recent times!
Tamil Action Movies
Asuran – 2019
The teenage son of a poor farmer kills a rich, upper-caste landowner.
His father, a loving man who’s also a convinced pacifist, will have to go against his principles to save his impulsive son from the consequences of his terrible crime.
As soon as Asuran was released, it became a benchmark for Tamil movies, both with critics and at the box office. Not only was the film a commercial success, but it was also selected to be among the Indian films screened at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards under the Best Foreign Film category.
Vikram Vedha – 2017
A no-nonsense policeman named Vikram leads a special mission to eliminate Vedha, a gangster that’s terrorizing the streets of Chennai.
However, after the criminal voluntarily surrenders himself, he tells Vikram an intricate story that might alter forever his perception of good and evil.
Manoj Kumar of The Indian Express, called Vikram Vedha “the best film to release in Tamil this year”.
If you’re looking for action Tamil movies that have the same addictive quality that distinguishes a great Hollywood blockbuster, then you might find a very pleasant surprise in this Tamil gem.
Why Learn Tamil With Movies?
- Tamil movies offer hours of exposure to the language with excellent sound quality. Forget about boring listening activities and listen to the Tamil language in the context of a great movie.
- You can watch them with subtitles in Tamil or in English and go back every time you want to repeat a dialogue. This way, you can focus on specific expressions that you find interesting or useful.
- By watching Tamil movies, you get to learn about the language but also about the culture of the people who speak it. Just like Saving Private Ryan might teach foreign students a lot of things about American patriotism, watching Tamil movies might open your eyes to a fascinating culture.
- If you’re feeling a bit lazy about sitting down to study grammar and vocabulary, watching Tamil movies is a great alternative, as it allows you to learn new phrases while having lots of fun.
The list above includes some of the best Tamil movies ever made. By watching any of them, you will learn lots of new vocabulary and you will rediscover the pleasure of watching great foreign entertainment.
Do you want to delve deeper into the Tamil language? Then don’t hesitate to reach out to us. On our website, you will find both group and one-to-one Tamil courses taught by qualified native-speaker teachers. Contact us now!
Explore our Tamil courses with qualified native speakers in your city or online.